08/30/2025
A lovely way to spend an afternoon. The iconic McMichael Art Gallery (Stuart i finally made it!)
Below are just a few pics from the gallery and some video still to post. When you spend time in a place like this you see the world around you with more clarity becuase art is honest. The canvas is an expression and a reflection of the surroundings and the narrative from the artists perspective.
From a humanities perspective art (music, sculpture, dance, pick any form) is important, essential and exists on its own merit. From a medical humanities perspective the arts teaches us some critical lessons.
Show a grouping artists the same scenery and the resulting work with have some similar elements but wildly different interpretations. In medicine … one conditions presents and is expressed very differently by each patient. But the “art” of diagnosis is nowhere in that while listening to the wildly different experiences of each patient…the physician needs to arrive at the unifying and underlying diagnosis.
Maybe it’s working in the opposite direction. So we arrive at one treatment, one surgery. But how does that work with your patient.. can they afford it, can they tolerate it, does it fit their world view, or is it even their priority?
Seeing the natural world as an artist, or in my case seeing the patient as diverse expression is truly where the art of medicine intersects the science and rigour of the discipline. And in our hurried world where we are expected to do more, see more patients… the one gift I do not have is time.
I think the humanities gives us that opportunity to reflect so that when we do have the rare gift of time, we can act and heal in a way that is meaningful and successful.
Sorry for the long post but I always carry a little journal to write. I hope these are lessons for me and for my students and patients.
